Book of Shadows
| image = | type = | availability = | manufacturer = Melinda Warren | model = | owners = Cassie Blake; Diana Meade; Paige Matthews; Phoebe Halliwell; Piper Halliwell; Prue Halliwell | 1st appearance = Charmed: Something Wicca This Way Comes }} A Book of Shadows is the name attributed to a witch's spell book. It was common to sects from pagan and neopagan religions, in particular, Wicca. A Book of Shadows may also take the form of a diary, wherein a practitioner may relate their innermost thoughts as it relates to the coven that they belong to. In the strictest of covens, there is only copy of a Book of Shadows, and this is usually held by the coven's leader, which may be a priest or priestess. Some covens may observe the tradition of burning a Book of Shadows upon the death of the user. The concept of a Book of Shadows began with Gerald Gardner, who headed a group of witches in the 1940s-50s called the Bricket Wood coven, which was based out of Hertfordshire, England. The term "Book of Shadows" may have originated with an article published in The Occult Observer in 1949, which included details about how to divine information about a person's future based upon the length of their shadow. Charmed The Book of Shadows plays a major role on the WB Network television series Charmed. It is owned in the present era by the "Charmed Ones", who are members of the Halliwell family. Originally, this consisted three sisters, Prue Halliwell, Phoebe Halliwell, and Piper Halliwell. Following the death of Pru, a cousin named Paige Matthews joined the family coven, and availed herself of the Book of Shadows as well. The book contained spells and incantations, which the Charmed Ones used in their ongoing battle against demons and evil warlocks. The Book of Shadows in this series was a thick tome with a green colored covered embossed with a Celtic rune symbol called a Triquetra. It was authored by Melinda Warren, who was a 17th century witch from Salem, Massachusetts and the matriarch of the family line that would eventually culminate with the Charmed Ones. The Secret Circle The CW Network television series The Secret Circle involves a coven of teenage witches, both male and female. Each member of the coven, or "circle", possesses a Book of Shadows, which is used as a personal guide to glean mystical insights. Most witches had their own Book of Shadows, which they inherited from a parental predecessor - all of whom were spell-casters from a previously existing circle. All of the witch families living in Chance Harbor, Washington had their own Book of Shadows. Notes & Trivia * The first sequel to the 1999 smash hit The Blair Witch Project was called Book of Shadows: Blair Witch 2. * A roleplaying game supplement for the Mage: The Ascension gaming system by White Wolf, Inc. is called Book of Shadows: The Players Guide for Mage: The Ascension. See also * Book of Shadows in media External Links * Book of Shadows at Wikipedia * Book of Shadows at the Charmed Wiki * Book of Shadows at the Secret Circle Wiki ----